EVE isk is a virtual world, with thousands of other players interacting with each other on any given day, and being part of that world also means dealing with the not so nice sides of it.

The ability to destroy another player’s time and money was always going to attract the more sadistic players, and this has earned EVE isk a reputation as something of a haven for those of the griefing persuasion; the kind of players that attack others just for the fun of it. But this is just the darker side of a vital part of EVE isk.

The player versus player aspect of the game, whether it’s combat or competing for resources/profits, is what I find so compelling about EVE isk. No other game has given me the rush that I get when I’m fighting other players in EVE isk, and this is largely due to the harsh death penalties.

When you can instantly respawn, along with all of your gear (and maybe reduced stats for a few minutes), there’s no real fear of death, or element of risk. The possibility of losing millions of isk is what encourages players to become better pilots; you learn to keep an eye on local and the directional scanner, understand what you can fight, and what you should run away from. You either get good, or lose even more ships; and it’s this deadly environment has given rise phrase “fly what you can afford”.

Death not only powers the PVP combat side of the game, but also EVE isk’s economy. Rather than the typical MMO crafting professions that are usually only a small facet of the game, the industrial side of EVE isk produces just about everything that keeps the game moving, from the vessels and weaponry we fight with, to the Player Owned Stations used to claim territory out in 0.0 space.

This symbiotic relationship between those that create and those that destroy is the beating heart of EVE isk. Yes, the death penalties may seen relatively severe, but it’s what makes EVE, EVE.

It’s brutal. It’s unfair. But it makes victory so much sweeter.